Senate Democrats are demanding a public hearing, testimony from Trump’s national security team, and all notes from Trump’s private meeting with Putin. If Mitch McConnell says no, he will have fallen into Sen. Chuck Schumer’s Russia trap.
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Schumer said:
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The question remains: what will the Senate do in response? I’ve seen a few of my Republican colleagues shrug their shoulders claiming they’ve done all they can. That’s bunk. As senators, we have a responsibility and an ability, an incredible power given to us by the Founding Fathers to check and balance this President.
As I said this morning, here’s a few things the Senate can do immediately in response to the president’s disastrous summit:
We can ratchet up sanctions on Russia, not water them down. The sanctions we passed 98-2 have not even been fully implemented by the Trump administration and now someone has inserted a loophole to water them down in the House defense legislation.
Second, our Republican colleagues need to immediately join us in demanding public testimony from the president’s national security team that was in Helsinki. Secretary Pompeo, DNI Director Coats, Ambassador Huntsman, and anybody else who was part of that team ought to be testifying openly, publically, and directly to the Congress. We need to know this because as frightening and damaging as the president’s comments were to the public in Helsinki, what he said behind closed doors is in all likelihood even worse. Why the president wanted to close the doors – there are lots of explanations, none of them good.
Does anyone believe that President Trump was tougher on Putin in secret? Why else did he not want anyone in the room?
Next, where are the notes from that meeting? What did President [Trump] agree to? Can we have the translator come in and testify? Was Secretary of State Pompeo briefed afterward on what happened? Did he take notes? Were any other members of the president’s team?
The notes need to be turned over to Congress immediately.
So, I’m calling on Leader McConnell and his leadership team to immediately request a hearing with Pompeo, Coats, Huntsman, and the rest of the president’s national security team from Helsinki, and from the translator, so we can learn the full extent of what happened behind closed doors because our national security is at risk. It’s an unusual request for unusual times.
Senate Democrats have set up a Russia trap
If Majority Leader McConnell agrees to what the Democrats are demanding, Democrats are going to get a public hearing on Trump’s secret meeting with Putin. If McConnell says no, Democrats are going to press the case that he is involved in the Russia scandal and this is why Republicans need to lose the Senate in November. Mitch McConnell should put country first and hold the hearing, but we all know that he won’t.
Senate Democrats made a smart move that shows voters, which party is fighting for America, and who is trying to protect Donald Trump.
Republicans have a choice. They can protect Trump and lose their seats, or they can do what is right for the country.
Trump has painted his party into a corner, and it is time to see whose side Mitch McConnell is really on.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
